Containers are used for holding items such as goods, in storage and while being transported to destinations by vehicles including trucks, trains, aeroplanes and ships. The costs of storage and transportation of the goods in containers are based on the respective volumes occupied by the containers. Accordingly, the costs are the same even if the containers are empty or not filled to capacity.
Emptied containers generally need to be stored before they are reemployed to transport goods. Many of the containers need to be transported empty to different locations where goods are to be loaded. To reduce storage and transportation costs for the empty containers, it is desirable to have containers that can be collapsed during storage and in transit. Collapsible containers have previously been proposed. However, the prior art collapsible containers known to the inventor do not meet the stringent container standards set by the transportation authorities and insurance bodies. The standards require the containers to pass various structural strength tests such as shock tests in relation dropping from a height above floor level, tipping, rolling, stacking, racking, etc. None of the known collapsible containers pass all these tests.
The standards also require the containers to be spray or water proof.